Yarn conditioning process



Patented Apr. 23, 1940 PATENT YARN CONDITIONING PROCESS Joseph B. Dickey, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak- Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey N 0 Drawing.

Application December 17, 1938,

Serial No. 246,521

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the conditioning of textile yarns and more particularly to the conditioning of filaments and yarns composed of organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose acetate propionate, and cellulose acetate butyrate, to render them more amenable to textile operations such as knitting and the like.

As is well known in the manufacture of yarns, particularly those composed of or containing cellulose organic derivatives, it is necessary to treat the yarn in order to reduce the tendency toward breakage of the individual filaments or fibers when they are subjected to various mechanical strains and to lubricate the yarn in order to facilitate handling in such operations as spinning, twisting, winding and reeling. It is also necessary to treat yarn to adapt it for use as warp or filling or for the manufacture of various types of knitted fabrics. In knitting, it is particularly important that the yarn be soft and pliable in order that it may conform readily to the contour of the needles and thus produce a closely knit fabric free from such defects as stitch distortion, pin holes, laddering, and the like.

Heretofore it has been proposed to employ softhe most serious of which is high Vaporpressure,

and in some cases too drastic a solvent action on the yarn. Many of such agents possess slight or insuflicient solvent power for the lubricants with which they are used, and it is accordingly necessary to'employ blending agents or emulsifying agents in order to obtain operable yarn treating formulas. In addition, many of the known softening and lubricating agents are insufiiciently soluble in water to permit satisfactory removal by aqueous scour baths.

This invention has as its principal object to provide an entirely new class of yarn conditioning agents which are particularly adapted for the treatment of yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose and capable of lubricating, softening and rendering such yarns more amenable to knitting and other textile operations. A further and specific object is to provide a class of conditioning agents which augment or assist the lubricating action of various lubricants when applied to such yarns. A still further object is to provide yarn softening and lubricating formulas which can be readily removed from the yarns by the usual scour baths. A still further object is to provide an improved method for the conditioning of yarns, particulary those composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, whereby the yarn is rendered soft and pliable and capable of employment in a variety of textile operations where complicated designs or stitches are employed. Another object is to provide an improved type of yarn which is especially amenable to textile operations including circular knitting, weaving, spinning and the like. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

These objects are accomplished by the following invention which, in its broader aspects, comprises the discovery that salts of tritetrahydrofurfurylamine, having the general formula:

'HgCCH2 CH2CH2V H1 oH-oH,N'cHr-c11 on.

OHP-CH:

OH] H H:

where X is a salt forming radical, and where R is H or a radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and heterocyclic groups, may be used as yarn conditioning agents and particularly as softening agents, with or without the additionoof animal, mineral, or vegetable oils, in the treatment of yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose. Ihave found that these compounds when employed as described in the detailed examples set forth below have a slight solvent and/or softening action on cellulose organic derivative yarns which renders such yarns softand pliable without at the same time having too drastic an action thereon.

The salts are prepared by treating the amine with the desired amount of acid. Either amine or acid may be present in excess. The tritetrahydrofurfurylamine may be prepared by reacting tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol with ammonia in the liquid or vapor phase under elevated temperature and pressure, the reaction being catalyzed by means of a de-hydrating, hydrogenating or dehydrogenating catalyst such as Raney nickel, copper, alumina, etc., the reaction being basically the same as that described in the co-pending application of J; B. Dickey and Arzy R. Gray, Serial No. 263,525, filed March 22, 1939.

In accordance with the invention these compounds may be applied directly to the yarn during or after spinning, or may be added to the spinning solution itself. I have found that these compounds have exceptional solvent powers which enable them to dissolve mineral oils and blown and unblown, drying and semi-drying,

cellulose propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate,

and the like, and to textile materials in general. In the following examples and descriptionI have set forth several of the preferred embodiments of my invention, but they are included merely for purposes of illustration and not as a limitation thereof.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples in which typical applications of the invention are set forth.

Example 1 Tritetrahydrofurfurylamine oleate is applied to textile materials (silk, cotton, wool, viscose, cellulose acetate) by means of a bath, wick, roller, spray, etc., to facilitate their knitting, weaving,

spinning and the like. Yarns lubricated with the above type of lubricant are of special value in the preparation of cut staple fibers. These fibers may be oiled before or after cutting.

Example 2 A conditioning liquid is made up as follows:

' Parts p,,B'-Tetrahydrofurfuryl oxyethyl ether 80 Water Tritetrahydrofurfurylamine laurate and applied to textile materials such as silk, wool, cellulose acetate, etc., as described in Example 1.

If the yarn is intended primarily for knittin the,

amount of conditioning liquid applied may vary from 4-25% by weight of the yarn and if in-' tended for weaving, between 1-5% by weight.

Cellulose acetate filaments treated as described above are quite soft and pliable and give improved results in various textile operations such as weaving, knitting, etc. and especially in the production of cut staple fibers.

Other examples of yarn conditioning compositions which may be applied to various types of yarns, particularly those composed of or containing cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and similar cellulose organic acid esters in accordance with my invention and which render such yarns soft and pliable and especially well adapted forvari- Example 3 Parts Tritetrahydrofnrfurylamine acetate 5 Olive oi I, 95

Example 4 Tritetrahydrol'urlurylamine proplonate. 5 Blown olive oil 95 Example 5 Tritetrahydrolurlurylamine butyreto i0 Neets-loot oll 80 Mineral nil 10 Example 6 am ssed... m... 1.." l8

0 Oleic aci I Example 7 ggrtm oil v 70 tetrahydmlurhirylamine methyl p-toluene sulfonate 5 Oieic acid- 24 Sodium sulfa 1 Example 8 Blown sperm oi 50 Oleic aci Tritetrahydroiuriurylamine cetyl bromide 5 Mineral nil 12 Water 2 Disodium phosphate 1 Example 9 'leaseed oi 50 Get 1 sulfa 5 01 0 aci 25 Tritetrehydrohirfurylamine tetrahydroluroate 5 Mineral oil 13 Di-potassium phosphate 2 g Example 10 Blown teasoed 011.. 16 Mineral oi Oleic aci 3O Tritetrahydrolurlurylamlne butoxy acetate. 10 w star 2 Sodium sullat 2 Example 11 Olive oil 70 Dimethoxy ethyl succinate .6. 25 'lritctrahydrolurlurylamine H0-(S OO|;Ea. 5

Example 12 Blown olive nil 70 Tetrahydroiurfuryl lactate 25 Tritetrahydrolurlurylamine H0P 0 CreHu 5 no o Example 13 Blown neat's-ioot oil 60 Diethylenc glycol ditetrahydrofuroste...- 20 Tetrahydrofuroic MM 5 Tritetrahydrolurhirylamine HO-P-O 0 4H: 0 AH O O .H. 10

. c in.

Dieodium phosphat 2 Water 7 I 3 Example 14 Tritetrahydmfurlurylami'ne succinate 5 Neet's-loot nil 95 Example 15 Water Water soluble cellulose ester l0 Bulioneted castor oil l0 Tritetrahydrofurfurylamino phosphate 5 Any of the above compositions may be applied to the yarn intended foruse in circular knittin by means of a bath, wick, spray, roller, pad or any suitable means. The amount of conditioning liquid applied may vary between 25-25% by weight of the yarn. Usually, however, the amount of conditioning liquid applied is about 10-15% by weight of the yarn. Yarn composed of cellulose acetate conditioned as described above gives excellent results when used in the circular knitting process.

As will be apparent from the above examples and description the conditioning agents of my invention may be applied by a wide variety of methods. For example, I may employ the agent as an ingredient of the spinning dope from which the filaments are formed, the amount of the agent so employed depending upon a number of factors, such as the particular cellulose derivative used in making the yarn, the solvent or solvent combination used in making up the spinning solution, and the degree of softness or pliability desired in the yarn, etc.

If the conditioning agent is to be applied to the yarn after spinning, this may be done by bringing the yarn in contact with a wick, roll, or felt wet therewith, or the liquid may be applied by immersion, spray, or otherwise. -,'I'he particular point at which the liquid is applied may vary. It may, for example, be applied to the yarn inside or outside the spinning cabinet, between the guide and godet roll, between the godet or other roll or guide and the point of winding and/or twisting. In some cases, the liquid may even be applied to the yarn after winding onto cones, spools, bobbins, or the like or by'the socalled bobbin to bobbin method. In the case of staple fiber manufacture, the liquid may be applied to the yarn prior to, or after cutting into staple lengths.

The amount of the agent so employed will vary widely depending upon the results desired, the specific nature of the material to which the agent is applied, the use to which the yarn is eventually to be put and other factors. For eX- ample, in a given case where a cellulose organic acid ester yarn such as a yarn composed of cellulose acetate, is intended for knitting, about 4 to 25% or more by weight, based on the weight of the dry yarn, may be satisfactory, while if the yarn is intended for weaving, the amount may vary between about 1 and 5%.

Although in the above examples I have referred'primarily to yarn treating compositions containing only the conditioning agent and an oil, other ingredients such as solvents, nonsolvents, emulsifying agents, blending agents and the like, may be added within the scope of my invention. Likewise, various .dyes or other coloring matter may be included in case it is desired to permanently or fugitively tint or dye the material undergoing treatment.

Although I have found it convenient to illustrate my invention by reference to compositions containing specific percentages of the various ingredients, these percentages may vary widely depending upon the particular purpose for which the composition is intended. For example, if it is desired to control the solvent or softening action of the conditioning agent, the amount of the agent may be adjusted as, for example, by reducing the amount of the agent and correspondingly increasing the amount of oil or other ingredient.

While I have described my invention with particular reference to the treatment of yarns composed of organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, the conditioning agents and formulas described herein are applicable to the conditioning of many other types of cellulose derivative yarns such as those composed of. or containing cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, benzyl cellulose and others, as well as to the conditioning of silk, wool, cotton, viscose and other natural or artificial materials.

The term yarn as used herein and in the claims is to be understood as including a single filament, a plurality of filaments associated into the form of a thread, either of high or low twist, single or multiple threads associated or twisted together, composite threads composed of a mixture of natural and artificial filaments or a composite thread formed by twisting together individual strands of natural or artificial materials, as well as cut staple fibers produced from natural and/or artificial filaments or threads and spun yarn produced from such staple fibers.

As indicated above, the yarn conditioning agents of my invention are exceptionally good solvents for a wide variety of mineral, blown and unblown, drying and semi-drying animal and vegetable oils such as cottonseed, olive, castor, neats-foot, sperm and other oils. This enables them to be used with any of such oils in making up a variety of yarn treating formulas of varying composition.

The yarn conditioning method and compositions of my invention possess many outstanding advantages. The fundamental and outstanding characteristic of the agents employed in accordance with the invention is their ability to soften yarns, especially those composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate and render them soft and pliable and amenable to various textile operations, especially operations such as those involved in weaving and knitting where complicated designs or stitches are employed, without too drastic an action on the yarn material. Another outstanding characteristic of. these compounds is their exceptional solvent power for a wide variety of mineral, animal, and vegetable oils and their ability to act as lubricating assistants in conjunction with these oils when applied to such yarns. In addition, due to their solubility in water, they may be readily removed from yarns and fabrics by means of the usual aqueous scour baths. By employing the yarn conditioning agents and method of my invention as herein described, one is enabled to obtain highly satisfactory results in the manufacture of yarns and woven fabrics and especially the production from these yarns of closely knit fabrics free from defects such as pin holes, stitch distortion, laddering and the like.

What I claim is: v

1. The process of conditioning yarn to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, the manufacture of staple fibers, and the like, which comprises applying a lubricating and anti-static composition containing as its essential lubricating and antistatic component a salt of tritetrahydrofurfurylamine, having the general formula:

to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, the manufacture of staple fibers, and the like which comprises applying a lubricating and anti-static composition containing as its essential lubricating and anti-static component a salt of tritetrahydrofurfurylamine, having the general formula:

where X is a salt forming radical, and where R is H or a radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and heterocyclic groups.

4. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, the manufacture of staple fibers, and the like which comprises apply- A ing a lubricating and anti-static composition containing as its essential lubricating and anti-static component a salt 01 tritetrahydrofurturylamine having the general formula:

where X is a salt forming radical, and where R is H or a radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and heterocyclic groups, and a textile lubricant. A

5. Textile yarns amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, the manufacture of staple fibers, and the like impregnated with a lubricant and anti-static composition containing as its essential lubricating and anti-static component a salt of tritetrahydrofurfurylamine having the general formula:

where X is a salt forming radical, and where B. is H or a radical-selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and heterocyclic groups.

6. Textile yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, the manufacture of staple fibers, and the like impregnated with a conditioning agent comprising a salt of tritetrahydrofurfurylamine having the general formula:

where X is a salt forming radical, and where R is H or a' radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and heterocyclic groups.

'7. Textile yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, the manufacture of staple fibers, and the like impregnated with a conditioning agent comprising a salt of tritetrahydrofurfurylamine having the general formula:

rho-+011, our-0H, H: H-C HgN-CHz-JJH Hg 0 x R o CHrCHz H: H H: o

- where x is a salt forming radical, and where R is H or a radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl and heterocyclic groups, and a textile lubricant.

' JOSEPH B. DICKEY. 

